Roger Federer will be the oldest grand slam finalist since 2005 when he meets Novak Djokovic on Sunday. Photograph: Colorsport/Corbis

For a man who spent 101 minutes facing the tennis equivalent of cannon fire en route to Novak Djokovic and a ninth Wimbledon final, Roger Federer was remarkably unruffled.

The Canadian Milos Raonic, almost 10 years younger, boasts the fastest serve in tennis, energy to spare and a thunderous flat forehand. But they would prove insufficient by some margin against the greatest player the game has seen, with a hungry eye on an 18th grand slam title.

Federer dismantled his opponent’s heaviest weapon and was nerveless in doing so, winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Now the oldest grand slam finalist since Andre Agassi appeared at the US Open in 2005, he professed himself keen to get to Djokovic.

“We always play great matches against each other,” he said. “We have played a lot in the last six months and it has gone back and forth. He is a great champion and has been around for a long time. He has had the trophy here in the past and knows how to get it done.

“We both like to be at the baseline and to take charge, especially on the quicker courts. He has wonderful way of redirecting or taking the ball early; taking pace from his opponent and generating some of his own. Novak can hurt you down the line or cross court on both sides. He’s really improved through the years. It’s really important for me to stay aggressive against him.”

Euphoric, older, wiser, Federer is fixed on his legacy. “I am unbelievably proud every time I walk around the grounds here. I know I don’t have another 10 years left so I will try and enjoy it as much as I can. The first one was just a dream. To play so well here at Wimbledon has been unbelievable.

“My game is back where I hoped it would be a year ago. Things were difficult all of last year so I am happy that I worked hard on the court to get myself back into shape.”

As to his day’s work, Federer hailed “a big victory”. Not an easy victory. “I really had to focus on every point. I know that is always the case at this stage but it was hard,” he said. “I had to be very careful on my service games and I knew there were only going to be a few chances on his serve but I am very, very happy.

“I played some great tennis under pressure at times because I didn’t play well here last year and I expect a lot of myself. In the second week I have played better as the week has gone on.”

With the stronger emergence this week of Raonic and the other beaten semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrigos, conqueror of Rafael Nadal, many talked of the old guard being eclipsed. The semi-finals seemed to squash that theory. “Milos and Grigor have been around for a while,” said Federer. Kyrgios is a different situation and I hope we see more of the Kyrgios’s type – the teenagers – coming through. But I am happy to see Grigor and Milos knocking at the door now more consistently. We will see how the year turns out.”

Raonic, 23, came with hope, having never previously progressed beyond the second round. Federer, lauded by his fans as King of the Court, brought his experience and that includes an ability to read the trajectory of serves other might miss in an eye blink. In an era just passed, Federer had the measure of Andy Roddick’s 140mph deliveries and in similar vein, he made light of Raonic’s youthful ferocity, as was also the case in their previous four meetings.

Senatorial in unadorned whites with a matching headband, Federer also turned the tables with his own serve. Nothing to match the speeds of Raonic. The clean cut young Canadian, 6ft 5in tall and soap-opera handsome, produced second-serve aces of up to 122mph. But where he produced power, Federer prioritised placement. He marches towards Djokovic having surrendered his serve just once in the tournament.

The 32-year-old, for whom it will be a 25th grand slam final, also relied on guile. He played repeatedly to Raonic’s weaker side; his backhand, and camped at the net to dispatch the returns.

The sight of Federer cutting off his opponents’ options and shortening the points, is becoming familiar; the fruit, one must guess, of his alliance with the former serve-and-volley Wimbledon champion Stefan Edberg.

For Raonic, a heady day, the pinnacle of his short career, but also something of a tennis lesson. Raonic would have been the first Canadian to reach a men’s grand slam final and the youngest to reach a grand slam final since Andy Murray appeared at the Australian Open aged 22. But, for all his achievements over the past fortnight, he was actually seeking to confound gravity.

Still, he felt he had underachieved during his first Centre Court appearance, particularly by losing his serve at the first hurdle. “I am quite disappointed with the level I played. I know I can do better. I was not expecting to play my best but I was expecting much better.”

He saw pointers for the future, but declared that in the short term he plans to head home – without watching his compatriot Eugenie Bouchard, a compliment he paid her at the Australian Open. He is keen for a rest and a few treats. “I’m craving chicken wings,” he said. “I’ll be having chicken wings.”